J.J. Abrams Comes Clean on Star Trek Coincidences, Sequel

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J.J. Abrams Comes Clean on Star Trek Coincidences, Sequel

SANTA MONICA, California — J.J. Abrams' rebooted Star Trek could hardly have been more successful with critics and the general public, but some Trekkers found the film's script to be rife with plot holes that spoke more to convenience than good storytelling.

At a recent press event for the movie's upcoming DVD release, Abrams and his writers told Wired.com what they were thinking during the Enterprise's first cruise with them at the helm, and what course they plan to set during the ship's next voyage, the as-yet-untitled Trek sequel planned for 2011.

(Spoiler alert: If you're one of the handful of people who haven't yet seen Abrams' Star Trek, * consider yourself warned. Major plot points ahead.)*

At Star Trek's halfway mark, evil Romulans have changed the time line and created an alternative *Star Trek *universe. Cadet Kirk (played by Chris Pine) mutinies against acting captain Spock (Zachary Quinto) aboard the Enterprise following the destruction of the planet Vulcan.

Rather than putting Kirk in the brig, Spock shoots him off the ship in an escape pod. Kirk lands on a primitive ice planet, where he runs into the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy) from the original time line. The pair then travel through the snow and ice to meet up with the only other human on the planet — Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg).

That's a reach, even for Star Trek.

"I know there are some fans out there who watch the movie and say, 'How could Kirk land on that planet and meet up with Spock?'" Abrams told Wired.com. "But I think (screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) handled it by doing it. They went at it directly and decided to do it because this film is about fate and friendship."

When Star Trek arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Nov. 17, extras like deleted scenes and commentary will answer some lingering questions. Abrams said the DVD includes a scene cut from the film that features Spock Prime (Nimoy) dropping some logic about the unlikely chance meeting.

"In the scene, Spock explains that (the encounter of Kirk and Spock Prime) is a result of the universe trying to restore balance after the time line is changed," Abrams said. "They acknowledged the coincidence as a function of the universe to heal itself."

Abrams said he cut that scene because he liked the mystery the chance meeting provided — and the idea that Kirk and Spock are destined to be friends. (Another DVD mini-feature, titled "The Shatner Conundrum," will tackle the absence of William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk, from Abrams' movie, according to io9.com.)

Abrams said the planned Star Trek sequel will offer more freedom to him and his writers.

"Now that we've established these characters, it opens up a lot of opportunities for future stories," Abrams said. "At this point, we're just starting to discuss the sequel and discussing ideas. We haven't even started breaking down a story yet."

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who wrote Abrams' Trek, confirmed the sequel's early stages and took a moment to counter some of the rumors already circulating online. Pundits are reporting the next Star Trek film will take a page from the original 1960s series and comment on current political conditions.

"We're not writing about Guantanamo Bay," Kurtzman said with some measure of fatigue. "When we say we want to include allegory in the next film, it doesn't mean we're looking to inject politics into the story."

Orci added: "The original series did such a great job of connecting a science fiction story to larger themes. That's what we're looking to do with the next film. But first and foremost, it's going to be an exciting adventure."

"That's what Star Trek has to be," Abrams said. "Now that our characters have come together — now that Kirk and Spock are Kirk and Spock — we can tell that adventure story."